CHAPTER XXIII.
THE STEALING OF THE SACRED BELT.
"You hit the right nail on the head, Billie, when you said that," wasthe way Donald told how he agreed with the remark of the other.
In fact, all of them had been struck with the similarity of the crookedhandwriting that they saw upon the soiled piece of paper before them,and that which had been upon the warning at the spring.
To make doubly sure Billie pulled out the latter, he having secured itat the time; and a hasty examination proved to be all that was necessaryto convince the three boys that their suspicions held good.
"The same hand wrote both!" declared Adrian.
"All right," spoke up Billie, instantly; "don't that prove the otherwarning was meant right for us, and not stuck there in a general way, asDonald here seemed to think?"
"I own up that the proof is overwhelming, Billie," admitted the party inquestion; "but just to think of them laying such a measly plot to get usin bad favor with our new friend, the Zuni chief. I remember seeing thatbelt right well, and remarked at the time that it was the finest one Ihad ever set eyes on, and I've seen quite a bunch of the same among theIndians on the reservations; for they try to excel each other makingthem valuable with precious stones and little nuggets of gold."
"Yes," added Adrian, "and I could hardly take my eyes off it this verymorning, when the medicine man took a share in the first part of theprogramme. Then he left the rest to some sub-chiefs, and went away withthe head of the tribe. It's a beauty of a belt, and must be worthconsiderable, just in money alone."
"Huh!" grunted Billie, "didn't this unknown friend of ours say rightthere that the Witch Doctor values it more'n his own life. And themeanness of them to think to steal it, and fasten the job on us forkeeps! It makes my blood boil, I tell you! Yes, I'm opposed to violenceof all kinds, except when it's necessary to teach a rascal like Braddonthat the Broncho Rider Boys can take care of themselves, thank you. Why,I'd almost feel like puncturing one of his arms or legs with a bit ofhot lead from my trusty rifle, so as to teach him the lesson he needs."
"Hold your fire, Billie; we may need all the ammunition we've got beforewe're through with this thing," advised Donald.
"Oh! I'm only saying what I'd _like_ to do, not what I expect to,"remarked Billie, as he carefully placed the two "warnings" away in oneof the pockets of his khaki hunting coat. "Wonder how many more timesthis bully friend is agoing to do us a good turn, without showing hisface?"
Adrian and Donald exchanged looks, and then the former went on to say:
"Seems like we'll have to pass that by, Billie, because nobody knows.Just who he is, and why he keeps so shy, is more'n I can guess. Perhapssome day he'll come out into the open, and let us see who we've got tothank. If you asked me to give my best guess now, I'd say he's one ofthose same punchers Donald was making friends with yesterday. He'skeeping it up just for a lark, to sort of bother us. There's noaccounting for some people's sense of what they call humor. He may thinkit's the best joke he ever had to do with, just keeping us guessing."
"Well, I only hope that some day I'll be able to tell him how much wethink of him for watching out for us like he has," ventured the fatchum, looking all around as he spoke, as though half hoping he might seea laughing, sun-burned face projecting from behind nearby rocks, waitingto be invited to join their circle; but nothing of the kind was visible.
Adrian happened to think of something just then, and spoke to Donald,who, not being engaged at that particular moment, arose, and slippedinside the tent.
"Whee! I wonder none of us thought of doing that before now!" burst fromBillie, showing that he had noticed the movement, and instantly jumpedto some conclusion concerning the same.
There was heard a sound from within, as though Donald might be turningthings over in a hurried search. Then they heard him give vent to a lowejaculation that somehow sent a thrill of expectancy through both thechums without.
Immediately Donald came rushing into the outer air. He was grippingsomething in one of his hands, and half holding the same aloft, whilehis face was indeed a study, being both triumphant and grim at the sametime, a curious combination indeed.
There was no need for him to shout aloud, and tell the others what hehad discovered secreted under some of their traps in the tent; for bothAdrian and Billie had eyes, and could see for themselves.
It was the sacred belt of the old Zuni medicine man, which they had seenfastened about his waist only an hour or two previous, and which heundoubtedly valued above all price, as a part of his ensignia ofoffice--the magical belt which was believed by his people to have comedown to him from the home of the Great Manitou in the Happy HuntingGrounds of the red men in the other world.
Billie tried to say something, but although his jaws were seen to work,only a queer gasping sound proceeded from between them. His very breathseemed to have been taken completely away by the astounding nature ofthe discovery made by the other chum, inside their tent.
It was not so bad with Adrian. He could command his speech, thoughalmost as much staggered as poor Billie at sight of the Indian belt.
"They didn't lose any time in getting busy, did they, Donald?" was whatfirst came into his mind to say.
"I should say not," replied the boy who held the belt. "While we wereaway some sneak crept into our tent here, and hid this under our traps.You can see what the game is; later on the medicine man will learn ofhis loss, and set up the biggest howl ever. Then somebody'll kind ofgive him a sly hint that perhaps the paleface boys may know somethingabout that same belt; for one of them was seen hanging around the rocklodge of the Witch Doctor--which was you, Billie, while trying to get apicture of the medicine man just coming out of his place, which theIndians believe is bewitched, so that nothing could hire one of them toeven peep inside."
"That's about the way they mean to work it, as sure as you're born,"agreed Adrian, nodding his head in confirmation.
"When d'ye reckon they'd get here, to look for the lost belt?" askedBillie, eying the dinner that was by now cooking merrily; and hisplaintive manner declared even more than his words expressed; for Billiewas worrying as to whether or not they would be allowed to enjoy theirmeal in peace.
"I was just thinking that it might be a dangerous thing for us to keepthat belt here any longer than we can help," remarked Adrian,thoughtfully.
"Yes," added Donald, "because we don't know the minute the medicine manwill discover his loss; and then things will get pretty hot around theold town, as sure as you live. Perhaps I'd better hide it under my coat,and hunt up the old chief right away. I'll tell him how it is, and thatsome enemy has done this just to make him drive us out of the village,so we can't influence him any more against accepting the offer of thispretended showman."
"Do it while you may, then, Donald; we'll keep some dinner piping hotfor you, make sure of that!" declared Billie, in a great perspirationlest he turn and see a crowd of the Zuni braves on the run toward thespot where they had located their tent, and headed by that terriblefigure of the aroused medicine man.
Donald immediately crushed the glittering belt into an inside pocket ofhis hunting coat.
He next stooped down and took hold of his rifle; for things were gettinga bit too exciting around that Zuni village to allow of his goingwithout some means for self-defense.
"Watch out for signs of trouble, boys!" were his last words, as hestarted to walk hastily away, heading for the rock settlement.
The pair thus left in the camp proceeded to continue cooking theirdinner as though they had nothing to worry about. All the same, Billiewas forever casting suspicious glances all around, as though he expectedat any moment to discover a band of excited braves coming on the fullrun for their camp, and with the wizard of the tribe leading the march,bent on conducting a search, and with a hope of finding the lost sacredarticle.
Donald had been gone possibly ten minutes at the most when anexclamation from Billie announced that he had at last caught sight ofthe object his exc
ited fancy had been conjuring up every second of thetime since Donald vanished among the outcropping masses of stones, whichwould offer the spectators good seats later on from which they couldobserve all that went on, and at the same time feel perfectly safe fromany of the crawling things that had a big share in the ceremony of therattlesnake dance.
"Coming, are they, Billie?" asked Adrian, as calmly as he could,although there was a trace of unsteadiness in his tones as he quietlylaid down the frying-pan he had been attending, and stood up, the betterto see.
Yes, it was true, there could not be a solitary doubt of that. From outof the Zuni village a group of figures had burst, and these now camehurrying along toward the spot where the boys had raised their tent, andput out their ponies to graze.
"Whew! Look at the medicine man striding along at the head of the bunch,would you, Adrian?" burst out Billie. "There's that Braddon along, alsoone of his cowardly helpers, the young chap we believe must be his son,Hey! Adrian, shall we let 'em come into camp, and nose around, or do youmean to hold the lot up with a show of guns?"
Billie had made sure to have his repeating rifle close at hand all thewhile. Just as soon as he learned there was a strong likelihood that thecamp was going to be invaded sooner or later, and themselves accused ofa crime they had never dreamed of carrying out, the fat boy trailed hisgun all around with him, no matter if he only stepped out to pick upanother armful of fuel, so that the fire could be kept going, and theirlunch continue to cook.
"If I've learned one thing since I came out to this country," Billieoften said these days, "it's this: that whenever you do want a gun youwant it in a mighty big hurry; and I don't calculate to get left more'nI can help."
"We've got to let them make a search; but neither of those white menshall take a step inside our tent," declared Adrian, resolutely, as hetoo picked up his gun. "Because I wouldn't put it past them to dropsomething else there, and then make out to find it. Let me do thetalking, please, Billie, that's a good fellow!"